In the footsteps of the Crusaders, starting from Lombron

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Although local tradition places the first village at Bresteau, the Church of Saint-Martin, rebuilt by the monks of Saint-Vincent in the early 12th century, provides clear evidence of the antiquity of the village of Lombron. This beautiful church, open during the day, is well worth a visit both for the quality of its architecture (Romanesque choir and lantern tower, nave and chapels remodelled in the 14th and 15th centuries on their original foundations) and for its furnishings (16th-century statues including the Crucified Christ, the seigneurial bench of the Montmorency family, lords of Bresteau, terracotta bas-reliefs by Lebrun, circa 1760, 18th-century nave pews, etc.).

Details

n°97700363
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 13.61 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 6h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 515 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 509 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 430 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 207 ft
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ City: Lombron (72450)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 48.079204° / E 0.418518°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 1818SB, 1819SB
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Description of the walk

(S/E) From the church square, take the path on the left between two stone walls. Turn right onto Rue du Lavoir and then right again onto Rue de Montfort to walk past the church. Continue left towards Torcé-en-Vallée and turn left into the narrow lane leading down to the wash house.

(1) Turn left onto Rue de la Vallée and, at the give way sign, head right to leave the village. You’ll come to a five-way junction.

(2) Leave the road and head diagonally right towards La Louvrais. Follow the path straight on, leaving the access to La Ragottière on your right: you can take an alternative route by turning right and rejoining the route described in Mézières. Walk along the edge of the woods on the right and come out onto the D83.

(3) Carefully follow the road to the right for about 150 m, then turn right towards Préauray. Continue for about 2 km to reach Trébuchet.

(4) Continue to the right and join the D25 at Le Pissot. Turn right and walk carefully along the road until the next junction. Then turn left towards Bréteau, pass the hamlet and reach the Gaire crossroads after crossing the Ruisseau de Crocieux.

(5) Turn left: an alternative route is possible by following the sign for Le Tertre. Return to the D25, turn left then immediately right towards Gaigné.

(6) At the three-way junction, continue right along the road. At Les Carris, follow the path to the right, passing La Huardière.

(7) Cross the Ruisseau de Lortier. Enter the woods, leaving the access to Les Fermes on your left, and take the path on the left about a hundred metres further on. Continue straight on to Les Sablons.

(8) Turn right, then cross the road to reach the Fosse aux Saneux junction. Continue straight on to the D25.

(9) Cross carefully, follow the path opposite then turn right towards the Butte de Montrentin: you can take an alternative route by continuing straight on. At the top of the hill, head back down to the left along the path, turn left again and arrive at La Goualonnière.

(10) Turn left, pass a farm with a pond on your right and reach a junction on the edge of a wooded area. Take the path on the right then turn left onto the Route du Pissot.

(11) At a place called Le Petit Carrefour, turn right, continue straight on at the star-shaped junction, then turn right at the edge of the woods to reach Le Haut Coutil.

(12) Head down towards La Furetière, turn left onto the road, then take the Chemin de la Lande on the right.

(13) At the crossroads, turn left onto the path and continue straight on towards Le Chardonneret. Pass through the hamlet and join the D97.

(14) Turn left and follow it carefully, entering the Bois des Noës.

(15) Take a sharp right to follow a path for about 200 m. Then first turn right then left to follow the path that crosses the woods and leads onto a small road at Puizeaux.

(16) Follow this road to the right for about a hundred metres, then turn left towards La Lèverie. Ignore the turn-off to the hamlet on the left and carry straight on to the stud farm.

(17) After the stud farm, take the path on the right. At the end of this, turn left and continue straight on to reach Rue du Lavoir. Then take the path on the right to return to the church square and the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 285 ft - Church Square - Église Saint-Martin (Lombron)
  2. 1 : mi 0.31 - alt. 249 ft - Rue de la Vallée, on the left
  3. 2 : mi 0.93 - alt. 236 ft - Path to La Louvrais
  4. 3 : mi 2.3 - alt. 207 ft - D83 - Gué des Bondes (ruisseau) - Affluent du Merdereau
  5. 4 : mi 3.56 - alt. 233 ft - Trébuchet
  6. 5 : mi 4.42 - alt. 269 ft - La Gaire. After the - Crocieux (ruisseau) - Affluent du Gué des Bondes
  7. 6 : mi 4.89 - alt. 269 ft - Three-way junction
  8. 7 : mi 5.3 - alt. 230 ft - Lortier (ruisseau) - Affluent du Merdereau
  9. 8 : mi 5.98 - alt. 253 ft - Les Sablons
  10. 9 : mi 7.16 - alt. 272 ft - Butte de Montrentin, D25
  11. 10 : mi 7.97 - alt. 279 ft - La Goualonnière
  12. 11 : mi 8.83 - alt. 318 ft - Le Petit Carrefour
  13. 12 : mi 9.65 - alt. 430 ft - Le Haut Coutil
  14. 13 : mi 10.63 - alt. 295 ft - Crossroads
  15. 14 : mi 11.52 - alt. 367 ft - RD97
  16. 15 : mi 11.98 - alt. 315 ft - Turn right
  17. 16 : mi 12.6 - alt. 302 ft - Puizeaux
  18. 17 : mi 13.04 - alt. 344 ft - Haras, on the right
  19. S/E : mi 13.61 - alt. 285 ft - Church Square

Notes

  • Yellow markings.
  • 43% tarmac.
  • Connections with the Sillé-le-Philippe and Saint-Célerin routes

Map and full route description available in the Perche Sarthois Hiking Guide (50 routes). On sale at Perche Sarthois tourist offices for €10.

Worth a visit

  • Saint-Martin Church (12th–15th centuries), listed building.
  • Wash house.
  • Bresteau site.
  • La Fosse aux Saneux.
  • Montrentin Hill.

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